Judea & Samaria Leader: PA Bid is Political War

Judea & Samaria Leader: PA Bid is Political War

Danny Dayan, who heads of the unofficial federation of communities in Judea and Samaria known as the Yesha Council, sent a letter to the Prime Minister Wednesday demanding an immediate response to the Palestinian Authority’s bid for UN recognition.

He asked Binyamin Netanyahu to decide upon retaliatory steps to the unilateral Palestinian Authority (PA) move without delay and vote upon them in Sunday’s Cabinet meeting.

“We see with apprehension the lack of Israeli response in the face of the PA’s provocative step, which is tantamount to a diplomatic declaration of war against the state of Israel,” Dayan said. “It would have been good if the retaliatory steps were known in advance by the other side, in order to deter it from this path.”

Spain has meanwhile announced that it will support the PA move, out of the belief that it is “the best possible step” for advancing the peace process in the region.

Switzerland, too, has said it will support the PA’s request because it is “efficient and practical.” Denmark has made a similar announcement, as has France.

In response to the PA’s move, Israel reportedly intends to freeze the transfer of tax revenues it levies at its ports on behalf of the PA, and to deduct the PA’s debt to the Israel Electric Authority from the sum Israel owes the PA.